Sediment separating and gas locking stopple



NOV. 19, 1935. H G MOORE SEDIMENT SEPARATING AND GAS LOCKING STOPPLE Filed Feb. 20, 1955 INVENTOR Patented Nov. 19, 1935 wires srrlrss zpzisss PATENT "OFFICE SEDMENT' SEPARATING AND GAS LOCKING STOPPLE Calif.

Application February 20, 1935, Serial No. 7,389

6 Claims.

This invention is a stopple for containers of liquors, and more particularly is a device having a plurality of elements severally useable as sealing means for the container.

It is a purpose of the invention to provide means which will permit the final stages of fermentation of liquors, of alcoholic nature, to be carried on in the ultimate container; that is, the container from which the liquor will be dispensed by or to the consumer.

This is highly desirable since it preserves in the liquor its fermentation gases which, it .is well known, are lost in the ordinary methods of making the liquor in large vessels and finally transferring it to the dispensing containers in which the liquor is sold or issued for consumption; the transfer being made after complete fermentation and clarification of the liquor.

An additional object is to provide a stopple which is applied to the ultimate container after it has been filled with the partly fermented liquor, and then, after the stopple has been closed in the container to seal it, the container can be positioned for gradual settlement of the usual sediment, from fermentation, on the lower area of the container wherein this stopple is applied, and, when the settlement has continued to the degree of desired clarity of the liquor, the sediment is removable by the stopple.

A feature of the invention is that the sediment may be removed from the cleared liquor without clouding it and without at any time admitting air to the liquor above the stopple device, and

further without the loss of any of the trapped fermentation gases in the container.

A further object is to provide a device ofthis character which is highly practical and effective, is substantial and durable, and parts of which may be repeatedly used in a filling plant, and in which the part passing to the consumer with the container is of such small cost as to be negligible; especially when considered in relation to the much improved quality of the goods obtained by use of the device and enabling a better price to be asked for the liquor.

The invention consists of certain advancements in this art as set forth in the ensuing disclosure and having, with the above, additional objects and advantages as hereinafter developed, and whose construction, combination and details of means, and the manner of operation will be made manifest in the description of the herewith illustrated embodiment; it being understood that modifications, variations and adaptations may be resorted to within the scope, principle and spirit Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of the con- 10 tainer in the sediment settling position.

Figure 3 is a sectional elevation showing the remaining, sealing stopper in place after the settling stopper has been extracted.

Figure 4 is an elevation of the separated stem 15 and sealing bolt of the stopper. I

It is understood that this stopple may be used on any desired form of container and that it is not limited for use on bottles 2 as here depicted.

It is preferred that the containers have a gradually contracted neck 3 and a mouth recessed at e for the seating of a washer 5 forming a part of the stopple.

The washer lies against the near end of a 25 stopper 6, which may be of any desired material, though an expansible material, as rubber or cork is preferred. Through the stopper 6 extends an axial stem part I of a shank 8 having a shoulder 8 and one end threaded at 8* for an exterior 3O nut 9, and the other end internally threaded at 8 to take a bolt Ill.

This bolt passes through a second expansible stopper II and has a large head til to suppportthe stopper as this is axially compressed between the head lfi and a washer ill, on the opposite end of the stopper II, when the bolt is screwed up tight as will be later described.

In a like manner the inner end of the stopper 6 is supported on a washer 6 when the outside nut 9 is screwed on tight to expand the upper stopper 6 in the neck of the container.

The assembled stopper, as just described, is adapted to be applied to the container after this has been substantially filled with a liquor which has nearly completed fermentation; the stoppers being of a size to fit and be readily pressed into the neck 3, and the length of the unit, or stopple, being such that the stopper ll will take a position clear of the neck surface while the upper stopper 6 will stop at the top and the head washer 5 will rest in the neck recess 4.

When in place the upper stopper 6 is expanded by screwing up the jam nut 9. to a degree sufficient to hold the stopper 6 against possible blow- 5 out by the reasonably expected pressure incident to further fermentation of the sealed liquor.

The sealed container is now placed in an in verted position thus permitting the gradual settlement of the ash or sediment produced during the final fermentation of the liquor.

When fermentation is complete the sediment is found on the surface of the stopper 6 presented in the neck 3, and on the sides of the neck; the liquor now being clear and charged with the natural gases of fermentation.

For the purpose of removing the sediment the container is securely held (still inverted) with the least possible vibration, and a suitable tool is applied to the stem end whereby the whole stopple unit is slowly pulled down until the inner stopper ll comes into sealing contact with the converged neck wall; this occurring before the outer stopper 6 is clear of the neck mouth so that no air may pass into the bottle neck during the change of position of the inner stopper ll. Continued pull is applied to the stopple until the inner stopper H is brought to its outer, full sealing position, as seen in Fig. 3. The stopper II is now supported against blow-out pressure by any suitable means.

Then the screw stem 8 is unscrewed, with the stopper 6 and washer 6*, from the bolt [0; this being left in the stopper I I. A slotted washer I 5 is now applied across the exposed bolt end and laid in the neck recess 3 and against the washer I2 and a nut I6 is run on the bolt end so as to expand the stopper H in the mouth of the neck to securely stand the probable gas pressure in the container.

It will be seen that the sediment on the stopper 6 has been taken out with the stopper and that as the inner stopper II is drawn down it wipes the wall surface in the neck 3 and the accumulated ash is washed out with the liquor caught between the two stoppers 5-l I.

All of this operation is completed without loss of gas from the container and. without admission of air. and the liquor is in its natural fermented state. No subsequent gas charging is required since the liquor has never been allowed to become flat.

- What is claimed is:

1. Means to facilitate final fermentation of liquor in its ultimate container, comprising a plurality of sealing stoppers fixed in spaced relation; the stoppers being so spaced that both occupy a sealing position at a portion of their outward movement in the mouth of the container each stopper having means for its expansion in the mouth of the container to withstand expulsive pressure in the container.

2. Means to facilitate final fermentation of liquor in its ultimate container, comprising a plurality of pressure sealing stoppers, and a connector fixing them in spaced relation; said connector being of sections capable of ready separation so that when the inner stopper is moved to a sealing position in the container mouth the outer stopper may be entirely detached from the other stopper sealing the mouth.

3. Means to facilitate final fermentation of liquor in its ultimate container, comprising a plurality of sealing stoppers fixed in spaced relation by a connector and movable as a unit, one stopper forming an outer seal in a container mouth while the other is positioned inwardly in the mouth to permit sediment settlement onto the outer stopper whilst the container mouth is standing inverted; the inner stopper being shiftable by the connector to an outer sealing position as the outer stopper is drawn from sealing position and means for axially compressing and laterally expanding the stoppers in their effective sealing positions to withstand expulsive pressure in the container.

4. A stopple comprising a pair of sealing stoppers, a separable section connector connecting the stoppers, and means for axially compressing each stopper when it is disposed in a sealing position in a container mouth.

5. Means to draw sediment from the mouth of a container and to exclude air entrance and prevent gas escape, and comprising a pair of sealing stoppers fixedly connected in spaced relation, one being disposed in sealing position in the 'mouth end and the other being disposed thereabove to allow sediment to fall to the sealing stopper; the stoppers being connected by a device for movement as a unit to trap liquor between the stoppers and to drain it as the sealing stopper is extracted and as the inner stopper moves into full sealing position in the mouth and means for severally expanding the stoppers in their effective sealing positions.

6. Means as set forth in claim 5, and in which the connecting device includes separable sections and means for severally expanding the stoppers in their effective sealing positions.

HARRY G. MOORE. 

